Opponents fail to prevent 50 homes getting the nod

Hamstreet set for further development despite concerns

A plan to build 50 homes in a village has been approved - despite a groundswell of opposition.

The 15-acre site, bordering the A2070 and Warehorne Road in Hamstreet, was originally earmarked for 70 houses but the number was reduced to lower traffic impact.

The outline proposal - which was deferred in June - features in the council’s Local Plan, as does a nearby development of 80 homes off St Mary’s Close opposite Hamstreet Primary Academy.

Transport played a key role in the protests against the 50-home application, which residents said had not taken the nearby proposed housing scheme into consideration.

One resident addressed the traffic issue as he spoke ahead of the councillors’ discussion earlier this month, saying: “Unfortunately as any resident will testify, traffic still backs up at peak times - you can conduct surveys for any amount of time and this won’t change.”

Jason Lewis, speaking for applicant Crabtree & Crabtree, stated that KCC Highways had no objections to the proposal and that new traffic surveys had found the impact would be minor.

Orlestone Parish Council and Warehorne Parish Council opposed the plan, with a representative for the latter saying the homes would have “a real detrimental effect” on the area, noting that “the school’s not large enough to expand and it needs more land to do so, so it’s unclear if it can take more pupils”.

Councillor George Sparks (Ash Ind) kicked off the debate by highlighting that Hamstreet has “potentially 140 houses in the next 10 years”.

He said: “There’s been an average of seven per year over 30 years.

“If we’re talking about this Local Plan, there will be 14 houses built per year - double the current rate.

“I think the two parish councils are right, it does seem to be over-development.”

How some of the 50 homes in Hamstreet are set to look

Two big developments are planned for Hamstreet